Why Won't UFT Leadership Debate The Teachers Contract Agreement?

But apparently the UFT leadership are scared to do so, since they not only won't debate the contract, they won't even acknowledge that there is another side in the union that wants to debate the contract agreement.

Makes you wonder what they're scared of?

I suspect they are scared not only that people will see the rhetoric they're issuing around the contract is empty, they'll also see the leadership itself is empty.

The Unity leadership is corrupt. The reason why they don't debate is because they are not capable. They don't want the membership to know the truth. The only thing they know how to do is to spread misinformation and silence dissenters. Their rein will end when the rank and file finally wakes up. I hope that the rank and file are smart enough to vote no. Otherwise they will suffer later on.

I hope that MORE can fight hard to combat all of the Unity propaganda about the contract. Unity won't engage in a real debate. They can't win a real debate. They can only win approval in the executive board and delegate assembly which are all a rubber stamp.

Sorry, but I don't even think of the UFT as a "union" any more. Unions FIGHT for their members, and don't try to divide them into "these can be thrown away" and "soon to be thrown away". It's absurd on the face of it. This contract is an abomination and a complete joke. The UFT's scare tactic to get us to vote for it is that if we don't take the pittance now (and sell our union brothers and sisters down the river), we'll be put at the bottom of the stack and we'll Never! (hysterical gasp!) see the money, never, ever ever! (stamp foot)Seriously? Is this a "union"? Not to me. I watched my father strike in the 70's (he was a printer).

You're right. The UFT is not a union anymore. My father worked with Charlie Cogen, the first UFT president. Charlie was his dept. chair. Charlie would be horrified if he saw what had become of a once great union.

Me, too, my mom was in the Typographical Workers Union. We marched on the picket line against the NYTimes. That was before the oligarchy swooped in, that was before Reagan began the destruction of unions with the air traffic controllers strike. I also remember that strike. All of the airports in Europe were at a standstill because the European air controllers walked out in solidarity with their American counterparts.Out with Unity. Why is NY the only major city in the country that has not gotten rid of the status quo in the union? What's up with NY?

C'mon, Anonymous! I'm no fan of the UFT leadership, but to make an analogy between them and murderous totalitarian dictators is not only unhelpful, but it allows their allies to paint us as wing nuts. Please be more judicious in your posts ...